DR1 Daily News - Monday, 20 March 2017

Coconut oil producers to get government financing
La Caleta-Las Americas International overpass under construction
Ministry of Environment could militarize Duquesa garbage dump
DGII to deactivate RNC codes
Tucano corruption case general is decommissioned
Marcha Verde at Independence Park
Poultry truck causes a major accident on Sanchez-Samana road
Small fire causes relocating checking terminal at Las Americas
DR loses to USA, will not be in the finals
Celebrating theater in the Dominican Republic
Danny Rivera to be back with another inspirational concert

Coconut oil producers to get government financing
President Danilo Medina was in Samaná on Sunday, 19 March 2017, and offered government support to local artisans that produce coconut oil. The government will help with financing at a 0.41% interest rate so the women producers grouped as part of a cooperative incorporated in 2014 can triple their production. The cooperative has 81 members and expects to increase the membership rolls to 125 women with government support.

The coconut oil extract is used to produce beauty products that are sold to tourists in Samana.

For the government, also participating in the meeting with the coconut oil producrs were Administrative Minister Jose Ramon Peralta; administrative deputy minister of the Presidency Juan Pumarol and administrator of the Banco Agricola Carlos Segura Foster. Jose Casimiro Ramos, director of the Fondo Especial para el Desarrollo Agropecuario (FEDA), was also present at the visit.

La Caleta-Las Americas International overpass under construction
The Ministry of Public Works announced the start of construction of a new overpass in the Las Americas International Airport-La Caleta area. Construction work is expected to last 4-5 months. The overpass will to relieve local traffic congestion in the area.

This means as of Monday, 20 March 2017 there will be a traffic detour in place for West-East traffic starting 500 meters after the Las Americas International Airport traffic distributor. The Ministry alerts drivers to plan on allowing more time to navigate through the construction.

The Ministry of Public Works also reported that as of 20 March through Friday 24 March, several tunnels and overpasses in the Greater Santo Domingo area will undergo maintenance.

Ministry of Environment could militarize Duquesa garbage dump
The Ministry of Environment reported it would consider militarizing the Duquesa dump, the major site for garbage deposits for Greater Santo Domingo, if an agreement between management and six municipalities is not reached. On Friday, 16 March 2017, military assigned to the Ministry of Environment were briefly at the site, but did not stay on after the Ministry of Environment reached a temporary agreement with the Lajun Corporation that manages the dump.

The Lajun Corporation had adjusted the garbage dump hours, from 8 am to 5pm, whereas before trucks were able to dump garbage until 8 pm. After Environment Minister Francisco Domínguez Brito visited the site with the brigade of men from the National Environmental Protection Service (Senpa) with the intent to militarize the site, the management of the dump agreed to keep the old schedule at least through the weekend of 17-19 March 2017.

Domínguez said the Ministry has intervened in the conflict Lajun has with city governments of Greater Santo Domingo because the early shutdown of the dump would cause garbage accumulation in the city and could endanger the health of city residents.

He said an agreement needs to be reached among the parties so as not to place the burden of the garbage disposal problem on around 3.7 million Greater Santo Domingo city residents. He said he would be meeting on Monday with the city mayors and the dump management to find a permanent solution to the conflict.

Domínguez said he was acting on recommendations from the Ministry of Public Health that notified Adrian Lee-Chin, general manager of Lajun Corporation, that the health of residents in six municipalities would be affected by the continued impasse and called for the parties to reach a satisfactory agreement.

The Ministry of Public Health stated: “In the understanding that health and environment are public assets protected by the Constitution and Dominican Republic laws, this Ministry disapproves any measure that can negatively affect the population.”

Listin Diario reported that Lajun Corporation on Sunday again created obstacles to the garbage dumping by trucks.

DGII to deactivate RNC codes
The Tax Agency (DGII) alerts that on 31 March 2017 it will deactivate the tax code (RNC) of businesses that are not up to date with the 2008 corporate law that changed company structures. The RNC is needed to write off company expenses, file taxes and carry out legal transactions.

The DGII has required that companies change to new formats set out by Corporate Law 479-08 and its amendment Law 31-11. While the laws established fixed deadlines for adapting to the 2008 corporation law, many companies have not yet done. The DGII until now had been lax about enforcing the law.

Tucano corruption case general is decommissioned
President Danilo Medina ordered full retirement with benefits for former Defense Minister, Mayor General Pedro Rafael Peña Antonio. Peña Antonio was Minister of Defense during the former President Leonel Fernandez administrations of 2004-2008 and 2008-2012.

Peña Antonio is accused of receiving bribes in documents unsealed in October 2016 by a court of New York, in which the Brazilian firm, Embraer, allegedly paid bribes to Dominican government officers to facilitate the purchase of eight Super Tucano aircraft in 2008, that have been used to anti-drug trafficking patrols in Dominican airspace.

An Air Force general, Peña Antonio was the commander of the Ministry of Armed Forces (subsequently Ministry of Defense) at the time of the purchase of the aircraft.

In Decree 68-17, Medina ordered full pension for Peña Antonio. Others benefited with full retirement in the same executive order were Mayor General Ramón Aquino García and Major General Joaquin Virgilio Pérez Féliz, all of the Air Force.

Marcha Verde at Independence Park
The Green March protestors met on Sunday, 19 March 2017 at 5pm at Independence Park in the Colonial City of Santo Domingo as part of the lighted torch march that visited key points all throughout the nation in the move to create increased awareness among citizens to call for an end to impunity for government corruption. Those marching are demanding that the government prosecute those who received bribes and were responsible for public work overvaluations in works contracted to the Brazilian construction firm, Oderecht.

The latest Green March protest events occurred nationwide from Dajabon and Barahona in the west to La Altagracia (Verón) in the east. Green March events continue on 26 March in Santiago, to be followed by a congregation at the Congress buildings in April.

Poultry truck causes a major accident on Sánchez-Samaná road
The Metropolitan Transport Authority (AMET) has reported one person dead and 18 injured as a result of a traffic accident on the Sánchez-Samaná road in the northeast. Amet spokesman Diego Pesqueira said the truck was transporting poultry and lost its brakes, struck a pedestrian and careened into other vehicles, including a minibus. The deceased has been identified as Leoncio de León, who was walking on the road when the collision occurred around 9:45am.

The Pollos Cibao truck driver José Uceta, who was injured, is under arrest.

Small fire causes relocating checking terminal at Las Americas
A fire that broke out at dawn at the airline counter side at Las Americas International Airport in Greater Santo Domingo was promptly put out without major inconveniences as reported on Friday, 17 March 2017.

Aerodom, the company that manages the airport, said that around 4:15am smoke was reported coming out of a store, The Market, which is located in the south terminal. The situation was promptly controlled by airport firefighters.

As a preventive measure, the early morning Delta, American, Aeromexico and Copa flights were relocated to the north side of the terminal where their operations continued normally.

DR loses to USA, will not be in the finals
Team DR, a team of Dominican baseball stars as never before had been assembled, came up short against Team USA in the semi-finals of the World Baseball Classic. The USA defeated the DR 6-3 in the game at Pepco Park in San Diego on Saturday, 18 March 2017.

The star of the game were Giancarlo Stanton who belted a go-ahead homer and Adam Jones who was described as making a “catch for the ages” to propel the United States to the semi-finals against Puerto Rico.

The tournament resumes on the evening of Monday, 20 March with Puerto Rico taking on the Dutch at Dodger Stadium, and the United States taking on Japan on Tuesday to decide the playoff teams for the championship game on Wednesday.

Celebrating theater in the Dominican Republic
The Ministry of Culture is announcing its program to celebrate World Theater Day, that falls on 27 March 2017. This day is a celebration for those who appreciate the value and importance of the art form “theatre”, and acts as a wake-up-call for governments, politicians and institutions that have not yet recognized the theater’s immense value to the general public. The celebration will also stress the theater’s unlocked potential as a source of economic growth.

For the occasion, the Ministry of Culture announced the Emilio Aparicio Amateur Drama Festival will take place from Monday, 20 March 2017 to Sunday, 26 March. The Ministry says this is part of the Ministry’s policy to expose theatrical performances all over the country. There will be cash awards for the best performances -- RD$75,000.00, RD$50,000.00 and RD$25,000.00.

The Emilio Aparicio Amateur Drama Festival will include 20 presentations, drama workshops at the Hector Inchaustegui hall in Santiago; the Monina Cámpora hall in San Juan de la Maguana and the Teatro Sur in Azua.

Tickets for the festival performances are RD$25 at the door of each venue.

Likewise, the Ministry of Culture announced the premiere of “Yago, yo no soy el que soy”, a production by the Compañía Nacional de Teatro (CNT) that is a free version of the Othello play by Shakespeare. The play will be performed from 21-26 March at the Maximo Aviles Blonda hall of the Palacio de Bellas Artes in Santo Domingo. The shows are Tuesday to Saturday as of 8:30pm. Tickets are RD$100 at the Bellas Artes box office.

Danny Rivera to be back with another inspirational concert
Puerto Rican-Dominican singer Danny Rivera is booked for a 27 May 2017 concert, “Para toda la vida” at the Teatro La Fiesta of the Jaragua Renaissance. The concert is a repeat of an Amaury Sánchez production last year that received excellent reviews.

The show will be staged on the occasion of Mother’s Day that, in the Dominican Republic, falls on the last Sunday in May, or 28 May 2017.

During the concert, Rivera is sure to perform his greatest hits, including all time favorites: “Mujer abre tu ventana”, “Tú”, “Cada vez otra vez”, “No hay distancia para nuestro amor”, “Amada amante”, “Silencio”, among many others. Rivera will be accompanied by an outstanding group of musicians led by Guarionex Aquino, Sandy Gabriel, Federico Méndez and Ezequiel Francisco. Tickets are for sale online at Uepa Tickets and Ticket Express and at the Jaragua box office.